Suction cileaner floor toot



, Jan. 7, 1936. O F. RIEBEL, JR

SUCTION CLEANER FLOOR TOOL Original Filed Feb. 27, 1933 Patented Jan. 7, 1936 PATENT OFFICE 2,027,250 SUCTION CLEANER FLOOR TOOL Frederick Riebel, Jr.,' Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Air-Way Electric Appliance Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Original application February 27,. 1933, Serial No. 2

658,684. Divided and this application April 3,

1934, Serial No. 118,827

6 Claims. (CL 15-155) This invention relates to suction cleaners of the type wherein the nozzle or floor tool is resiliently mounted on rollers disposed at its ends, and has for its object to provide means whereby the floor tool may be adjusted for height to any of a series of normal riding positions determined by the balance between the weight of the floor tool and the tension of the resilient portions of the mountings when flexed under said weight, below any one of which positions the floor tool may be depressed under manual pressure.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the following detailed description of the invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through one end of the floor tool embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to modification of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the roller ing, of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, of a further modification of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. '7 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, of another modification of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the mounting shown. in Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 1, of another modification of the invention. The floor tool 30 is supported by a pair of rollers 3! one at each end of the tool. The rollers 31 are attached to mountings which in turn are attached to the floor tool. Each mounting includes a resilient portion which serves to carry the weight of the cleaner to the roller, and which allows the tool to be depressed below normal riding position determined by the balance between the weight of the cleaner and the tension in the resilient portion of the mounting.

The present invention is distinguished from other devices for this general purpose, in that the adjustment is effected by means of the engagement, between the springs 35c, 35d, 35c, or 35 and an element carried by the floor tool 30, in which engagement the several selective positions thereof are determined by the peculiar formation of the spring itself, and in which the shifting from one position to another is accomplished in general by relative displacement, in g a horizontal direction, of the spring with relation to said element, or vice versa.

In Fig. 1, the spring 350 has a right angled por- Fig. 1, of another and its mounttion 62 in which are formed a series of openings 63 to receive a pin 64 mounted in the upper wall of the socket 36. The bracket Me has at its end a bent portion 65 which engages behind the inclined face of lug or screw 66, at the inner end of the socket 36.. Spring pressure causes this engagement to normally hold the mounting, against removal from the socket, but the mounting may be pulled out so as to allow the member 62 to clear the end of the pin 64. k

In Fig. '7, the spring 3511' is provided with a series of steps 65d which engage the edge of the upper wall of the socket 36, and a corresponding series of openings 66 which receive the screw 31a, to position the mounting longitudinally.

Instead of the stepped portion 65, the spring 352 may have an inclined portion 65a, which is held in various positions of engagement with the edge of the socket wall by means of the selective engagement of the screw 31a in the openings 66.

Adjustment of the devices of Figs. 7 and 9 is accomplished by shifting the mounting longitudinally relative to an element carried by the floor tool.

In Fig. 3, the spring 35] has a series of openings 14 of progressively increasing diameter, to receive a corresponding series of collared portions 12 on a screw 13 which serves the dual purpose of engaging the spring 35f at various heights, and of preventing removal of the mounting from the socket. As in Figs. 7 and 9, adjustment is accomplishedby shifting the mounting longitudinally.

By employing the end securing means of Fig. 1

in the mounting of Fig. 7, the adjustment toward low tension position may be accomplished by simply pulling the mounting outwardly, the screw 31a and openings 66 being in this case dispensed with. This form. of the invention is shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The term successively varied means, employed in the appended claims, is a general term which refers to the means in the end of the spring 35c, 35d, or 351, as the case may be, which makes variable engagement with top of the floor tool socket, or an element carried thereby. For example, in Figs. 1 and 2 the successively varied means is the teeth forming the sides of the elongated opening 63 in the spring 350. In Figs. 3 and 4, it is the material of the spring bounding the series of overlapping openings 14 of successively varied diameter. In Figs. '7 and 5, it is the stepped portion 65 of the spring. In Fig. 9, it is the inclined portion 651:. of the spring.

V the free end of said spring,

The term element of the upper wall, as used in the claims, refers to an element carried by the floor tool, or forming part of the floor tool, which cooperates with the aforesaid successively varied means. For example, in Fig. 1, it is the pin 64. In Fig. 3, it isthe stud ,73. In Figs, 5, 7 and 9,

it is the edge of an integral portion of the floor tool extending above the spring, i. e.', the end edge of the socket upper wall.

This application is a continuation in part of the applications for my patents Nos. 1,899,107 1,899,108 and 1,899,423, and a division of my application Serial Number 658,684, filed February 27, 1933.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a suction cleaner, a floor tool including an end socket, a mounting therein including a bracket and a leaf spring secured together, their free ends diverging toward the mouth of the socket, the spring being positioned above the bracket, and successively varied means formed in the spring near its free end, for adjustably engaging a fixed element of the upper wall of the socket near said mouth, for varying the spacing H of the spring from said wall at said mouth, and a fixed element of the upper wall of the socket near said mouth in a. series of positions wherein the vertical spacing of the spring from the said wall at the mouth,'is varied, and a roller journalled on the free end of the bracket, adjustment being accomplished by moving said successively varied portion.

3. In a suction cleaner, a floor tool including an end socket, a mounting therein including a bracket and a leaf spring secured together, their free ends divergingtoward the mouth of the socket, the spring being positioned above the bracket, a series of openings in the spring, of successively varied diameter, and an element projecting downwardly from the top wall of the socket, including a series of successively narrower shouldered porfor efiecting relative tions, engageable selectively in said openings to carry the weight of the cleaner to said spring in a series of varied vertical spacings of the spring relative to the said wall, and a roller journalled on the free end of the bracket.

4. In a suction cleaner, a floor tool including anend socket, a mounting therein including a bracket and a leaf spring secured together, their free ends diverging toward the mouth of the socket, the spring being positioned above the bracket, and an upwardly inclined portion on the end of said spring, variably engageable with an element of the upper wall of the socket, and means adjustment between said in clined portion and said element in a direction longitudinally of the socket, whereby to eifect variation in the vertical spacing of the spring from said wall at said mouth, and a roller journalled on the free end of the bracket.

5. In a suction cleaner, a floor tool including an end socket, a mounting therein including a bracket and a leaf spring secured together, their free ends diverging toward the mouth of the socket, the spring being positioned above the bracket, and an upwardly inclined portion on the end of said spring, variably engageable with an element of the upper wall of the socket, and means for holding said mounting in a series of positions adjusted longitudinally of the socket, whereby to effect variation in the vertical spacing of the spring from said wall at said mouth, and a roller journalled on the free end of the bracket.

6. In a suction cleaner, 2, floor tool including an end socket, a mounting therein including a bracket and a leaf spring secured together, their free ends diverging toward the mouth of the socket, the inner end of the mounting having a downwardly and inwardly inclined portion, a correspondingly inclined projection in the lower wall of the socket, behind which said inclined end portion is engaged, the free end of the spring engaging the upper wall of the socket at the mouth, and serving to maintain said inner inclined end portion in engagement with said projection, and a roller journalled on the free end of the bracket, the connection of said inclined portion with said projection allowing movement of the mounting longitudinally of the floor tool while constantly exerting retaining force.

FREDERICK RIEBEL, JR. 

